Based on the highly anticipated 2014 Prologue Concept that was unveiled at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show,->ke211 the new Prologue Piloted Driving Concept brings even more Audi goodies in terms of technology at CES 2015. The main differences compared with the original concept car->ke169 consist of a new paint job, a more powerful propulsion system thanks to hybrid technology, and the model's ability to drive by itself. Other than that, the new Prologue Piloted Driving Concept is quasi-identical with the variant unveiled back in 2014 in Los Angeles. It is not entirely certain if it is in fact the exact same car but augmented with new technology and a different color or if Audi->ke14 simply had two different versions of the Prologue all along.

Thanks to what Audi says is a new type of laser scanner, several video cameras and a bunch of ultrasound sensors mounted all around the vehicle, the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept can literally create a virtual impression of the car's perimeter based on signals provided by the aforementioned technologies. This way, it can theoretically drive around without any driver intervention in normal traffic situations, although Audi didn't mention if the car can finally handle itself in city traffic as well, as previous "piloted concepts" from Ingolstadt haven't been able to.

Unlike the original Prologue Concept, the model presented at CES 2015 benefits from a new hybrid powertrain that pairs a 4.0, TFSI V-8 with a disc-shaped electric motor integrated into the ZF 8HP automatic transmission. Together, the two units offer a combined output of 677 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to catapult the not-exactly-small car from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds, which isn't half bad if you also take into account that it can also achieve an average of 29.8 mpg.

Click past the jump to read more about the Audi Prologue Piloted Driving Concept.}

2015 Audi Prologue Piloted Driving Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Audi Prologue Piloted Driving Concept
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 677
  • Torque: 701
  • Transmission: eight-speed e-tiptronic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Obviously, the main stylistic difference compared with the LA show car is the much darker paint job, which kind of makes the somewhat featureless exterior of the Prologue Concept stand out a bit more, despite not being a classic Audi color. Just a bit shorter and lower than the 2015 Audi A8, the concept is still rather massive for a coupe, with exterior dimensions being very close to the model whose success inspired its creation in the first place: the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. That is where the similarities end, however, because the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept is all Audi in terms of design.

The now-traditional single-frame grille sits a bit lower and is much wider than on any other Audi model, while the side view loses some of the usual non-premium front overhang for a more balanced proportion between the front and the rear. Audi's new head of design Marc Lichte says that versions of the wider and flatter grille with cambered edges will be found on the upcoming A6, A7 and A8 models as well, part of a so-called general restyling of the brand. The flared wheel arches emphasize the quattro all-wheel-drive system, while the rear is somewhat atypical Audi thanks to a strip of taillights and a concave rear window that is somewhat reminiscent of the Citroen C6 or the older Jaguar XJ-S.

Exterior Dimensions

Length

5,100 MM (200.8 inches)

Wheelbase

2,940 MM (115.7 inches)

Width

1,950 MM (76.8 inches)

Height

1,390 MM (54.7 inches)


Interior

Unlike other Audis, the interior of the Prologue Piloted Driving concept is decidedly minimalistic, with most buttons and knobs being replaced by three OLED screens that can be used via touch or hand gestures. Another premiere is represented by the so-called Easy Slot system, which is essentially a smartphone storage system that can both connect with and charge the phones put inside.

The mainly horizontal lines of the exterior are also found inside, creating the illusion of even more interior space, while the overall design is somewhat reminiscent of that found on old-school Bang & Olufsen audio equipment. Thanks to the OLED screens, the only real buttons that the driver has access to are found on the steering wheel and on the transmission tunnel, emphasizing the minimalist design approach even more.

Drivetrain

The main means of propulsion is a new variant of the tried-and-true, 4.0, TFSI, V-8 engine. Thanks to its reworked hot-vee turbochargers, the powerplant is capable of 597 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, with another 37 pund-feet of torque being available in overboost mode -- available for up to 15 seconds at a time. Paired with an electric motor that is integrated into the eight-speed ZF 8HP automatic transmission, the combined power output of the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept is a healthy 677 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque.

Thanks to the quattro all-wheel-drive system and its massive power, the car can accelerate from naught to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds. With the compact electric motor taking its energy from a rear-mounted lithium-ion battery with a 2.6-kWh capacity, the concept has a full-electric range of around three miles, while the combined fuel economy is said to sit at 29.8 mpg if measured in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Not to shabby for such a gargantuan vehicle that is faster than quite a lot of sports cars.

Drivetrain Specifications

Type

Hybrid Powertrain

Combined Output

677 HP

Torque

701 LB-FT

0 to 62 mph

3.5 seconds


Prices

As with just about any other concept car, the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept doesn't actually have a price, which would probably be in the millions or tens of million if we take into account all the R&D money invested in its onboard technologies.

Competition

Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion

Also launched at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas, the F 015 Luxury in Motion is based on a somewhat similar idea as the Audi model (read: autonomous driving), only a tad further into the future. Shaped like a cocoon and offering seats for four passengers, the Mercedes-Benz concept is said to offer a glimpse of what type of technology a luxury vehicle from 2030 could offer, apart from the option of autonomous driving.

Unlike the Audi concept car, the F 015 Luxury in Motion also doesn't carry the styling motifs of upcoming three-pointed star vehicles, with the main idea behind it being that it is simply an exercise in both design and technology features. The model is powered by two electric motors that take their juice from both an externally-chargeable battery and an on-board fuel-cell system that runs on hydrogen.

Audi Prologue Concept

Although they are like two peas in a pod in terms of styling both inside and out, the two Prologue concept cars symbolize two different futuristic approaches from Audi. The original Audi Prologue concept, unveiled at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, previews mainly a new design language for the Ingolstadt manufacturer, despite nay-sayers still criticizing the rather small step it introduced in terms of overall appearance compared with other Audi models. Not only that, but a long-rumored A9 model could end up looking not unlike the concept in the upcoming years, given the bean-counters running Audi give it the go-ahead.

Without the added oomph of a hybrid system, the original Prologue Concept "only" had 605 horsepower and 552 pund-feet of torque at its disposal, which translated into a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.7 seconds thanks to the quattro all-wheel drive system. Its classic Audi/Auto Union silver paint and gray neo-classic interior may not be for everyone, but the car's unveil certainly dropped a lot of jaws in LA.

Conclusion

From a personal perspective, the Audi Prologue Piloted Driving Concept should have been the only one, as the original Prologue seems very dated in term of technology just a few months after its reveal. On the other hand, I can't blame Audi for milking a new variant of the car just for CES and I wouldn't be surprised if a third version with even more advanced technology arrives at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Either way, since most of the features in the car are pretty much production-ready, I certainly hope that the 2017 Audi A8 will feature at least 90 percent of the gizmos found on the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept, not to mention how awesome it would be for Audi to actually launch an A9 Coupe.